Shuttle drive for looms



United States Patent lnventor Anisio Mattar, Jr.

2.603 Avenida Indianopolis, Sao Paulo, Brazil Appl. No. 726,468 Filed May 3, 1968 Patented Aug. 11, 1970 Priority May 3, 1967 Brazil No. 189,431

SHUTTLE DRIVE FOR LOOMS 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 139/133 Int. Cl D03d 49/24 Field of Search 139/133,

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Zapata Rourke Holcombe Walton Kronoff Pfarrwaller FOREIGN PATENTS ltaly Primary Examiner James Kee Chi Attorney-Christen and Sabol ABSTRACT: A loom shuttle is reciprocated between two parallel series of driven rolls which are engaged by the spring pressed lateral walls of the shuttle.

Sheet of3 FIG.

Patented Aug. 11, 1970 Sheet.

SHUTTLE DRIVE FOR LOOMS The invention relates to looms and more particularly to looms operating with shuttles.

Generally, such looms are driven by members known as swords which move them violently back and forth, and rapidly enough to make the woof of the fabric. Since the strokes of the woof are strong, they produce much vibration in the machine and therefore, require a sturdy construction. In addition, this usual way of driving the shuttles causes much noise and friction, and furthermore they easily go astray, which causes a break in the warp threads, and this causes frequent stopping of the loom with obvious production losses and increased costs. Quite frequently, the reversal of the shuttle travel makes them leave the loom and thus can injure the weavers seriously.

it is a principal object of the invention to provide a shuttle drive which avoids the recited drawbacks.

This and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a loom of the invention, which permits the passage of the shuttle between the warp threads;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1, showing the unit in lowered position to permit free travel of the reed;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the unit of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 4 shows one of the forms of transmission of the rotary movement to the pins, the device being partially shown in v its lower part;

FIGURE 5 shows the table, in cross section, and

FIGURE 6 shows the shuttle in top view. Referring now to the drawings, they show a loom shuttle 14, driven, controlled and guided by rotating rollers I, which preferably ending in the form of double cones (Fig. 5) and are mounted in bearings 2, disposed in table 3; the lower part of the rollers is formed as cylinders 4 driven by a belt 5, which in turn is driven by a wheel 6, which is moved by a special eccentric imparting to the wheel and rollers an alternating rotary movement, which permits the back and forth movement of the shuttle on table 3 and between said rollers l.

The special eccentric that controls the movement of the rollers is made so that it causes the shuttle to have a low speed at the beginning and at the end of travel, and the maximum speed in the central part of table 3.

In FIG. 1, there is shown the shuttle between the threads of the warp, 7 being the cylinder or warp; 8 and 9 are the two threads, 10 and 11 the heddle wires, 12 the reed and 13 the fabric; 14 is the shuttle carrying the spool with the weft thread 15. FIG. 2 shows the lowering of the table by means of suitable eccentrics, thus permitting the advance of reed 12 to the zone where the lengthwise threads of the warp are changed into fabric.

The shuttle (FIG. 6) is made of a suitable light plastic or other flexible or non-flexible material, and its resilient walls are forced outwardly by two opposed springs 16, which press said walls against the edges of the rollers. The longitudinal sides of the shuttles are somewhat recessed at 18, to travel along the rollers 1. FIGURE 6 shows a thread 15 arriving from spool 17, which will make the woof of the fabric that is to be made on the loom.

The operation of the loom of the invention is simple, since, when the shuttle works, the rollers 1 are between the warp threads; when the shuttle is at one or the other end of the table 3, the latter goes down (FIG. 2) so as to permit the advance and return of the reed 12; when it has returned, table 3 again rises, and the cycle begins again. My novel loom works with a minimum of noise and at greater speed than the conventional looms and makes possible to use unskilled labor, it requires less manpower as the shuttle cannot leave the warp threads. Other advantages are easier automation than 21951 2! looms, e q s b l iy pro n' greater widthfgreater margin of safety for the weaver since there is no possibility of escape of the shuttle, smaller machine parts, the possibility of having the loom in vertical position, longer life of the loom and fewer shuttle parts, production of a more uniform fabric, and a larger spool allowing longer feeding of the thread to the woof.

Iclai m: m

1. ln a loom of the character wherein a shuttle holding a spool of weft thread is moved in alternate directions through the shed of fabric being woven, driving means for propelling said shuttle including a table extending transversely of the fabric to be positioned below the fabric for oscillatory vertical movement, a plurality of rollers supported by said table for rotating about vertical axes and arranged in two transverse rows, said rollers having an upper portion for frictional engagement of opposite pairs of said rollers with the sides of the shuttle for moving the shuttle through the shed when the table is in an upper position with the upper portions of the rollers projecting between the warp threads, said rollers also including means for operative engagement with a common driving means for turning the rollers of one row in one direction and for turning the rollers of the other row in the opposite direction simultaneously and for alternatively reversing the rotation of said respective rows of rollers.

2. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shuttle driving ends of said rollers have the shape of double cones.

3. A loom as claimed in claim 1 comprising shafts carrying said rollers and bearings for said shafts in said table.

4. A loom as claimed in claim 3 comprising a belt driving said shafts at a speed increasing from the end points of the table towards the center thereof.

5. A loom as claims in claim 1 wherein the table is lowered when the shuttle is outside the warp threads.

6. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said shuttle has resilient side walls, recesses therein engaging said rollers, and springs urging said side walls against said rollers. 

